National security adviser Robert O’Brien claimed he was told by Mike Pompeo that he would not be leaving his post as secretary of state.
Pompeo, 55, has been rumored to be considering a Senate bid to replace Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, who will be retiring at the end of his term. The current secretary of state represented a Kansas district in Congress for six years before becoming CIA director at the beginning of Trump’s presidency.
O’Brien told ABC’s This Week on Sunday that Pompeo would not be running for Senate, despite the speculation that he could be leaving the State Department. The current national security adviser could be a contender to replace Pompeo if he were to leave.
“Mike Pompeo is a fantastic secretary of state. He was one of the president’s best picks for the Cabinet. He’s a friend of mine, and I enjoy working for him. I hope he doesn’t leave,” said O’Brien. “I love the job I’ve got now.”
O’Brien added, “I hope, and I expect, that Secretary Pompeo will stay. I spoke with him about this two nights ago, and he said he’s not running for Senate. He said he’s staying as secretary of state.”
NEW: White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien to @jonkarl: “Mike Pompeo is a fantastic secretary of state … I spoke with him about this two nights ago. He said he’s not running for Senate. He said he’s staying as secretary of state.” https://t.co/SIMF3WFW2D pic.twitter.com/mUx4XdTBa7
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 29, 2019
The national security adviser’s claim is consistent with Pompeo’s interview with the Washington Examiner from August, during which the secretary said he would not be leaving the State Department for the Senate.
